The story of Mahākappina

Now at that time the venerable Kappina the Great^[1] was staying near Rājagaha at Maddakucchi in the deer-park. Then as the venerable Kappina the Great was meditating in seclusion a reasoning arose in his mind thus: “Should I go to an Observance or should I not go, should I go to a (formal) act of the Order or should I not go, I, nevertheless, am purified with the highest purification.”

^Kd.2.5.4 Then the Lord, knowing by mind the reasoning in the mind of the venerable Kappina the Great, as a strong man might stretch out his bent arm or might bend back his outstretched arm, even so did he, vanishing from Mount Vulture Peak appear in Maddakucchi in the deer-park before the ^BD.4.137 venerable Kappina the Great. The Lord sat down on an appointed seat, and the venerable Kappina the Great, having greeted the Lord, sat down at a respectful distance.

^Kd.2.5.5 As the venerable Kappina the Great was sitting down at a respectful distance the Lord spoke thus to him: “Now, Kappina, as you were meditating in seclusion did not a reasoning arise in your mind thus: ‘Should I go to an Observance or should I not go, should I go to a (formal) act of the Order or should I not go, I, nevertheless, am purified with the highest purification’?”

“Yes, Lord.”

“But if you brahmins^[2] do not reverence, revere, esteem, honour the Observance, who is there who will reverence, revere, esteem, honour the Observance? You go along, brahmin, to the Observance, do not not go; go likewise to a (formal) act of the Order, do not not go.”

“Yes, Lord,” the venerable Kappina the Great answered the Lord in assent.

^Kd.2.5.6 Then the Lord, having gladdened, rejoiced, roused, delighted the venerable Kappina the Great with talk on dhamma, as a strong man might stretch out his bent arm or bend back his outstretched arm, even so did he, vanishing from before the venerable Kappina the Great in Maddakucchi in the deer-park appear on Mount Vulture Peak. ^Vin.1.106

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

At AN.i.25 called chief of the exhorters of monks. Verses at Thag.547–Thag.556. See Psalms of the Bretheren p.254ff., and N.B. that on BD.4.256 “taught the sisters” (or nuns) should read “taught the brethren” (or monks), as noticed at Psalms of the Bretheren p.417. Dictionary of Pali Proper Names ii.475, article: Mahākappina, should be corrected accordingly. See Sakya, p.140ff., for Mrs. Rhys Davids’ suggestion that Kappina was Assaji’s teacher.

[2]:

Brahmin probably being used here in its Buddhist sense of “best, highest”. Kappina was older than Gotama.